Historic site · UNESCO
Colosseum
Rome, Italy
The vast Roman amphitheatre that has become the symbol of the Eternal City.
Church, mosque or temple · Italy · Lazio
Pantheon
A nearly two-thousand-year-old temple with a perfect concrete dome and a circular opening to the sky.
UNESCO World Heritage about 45 min
For storytellers
Why Pantheon matters
Walk through the columned porch and you enter one of the best-preserved buildings of ancient Rome. The giant dome has a round opening at its top called the oculus, which lets in a beam of sunlight that moves across the floor. It was built as a Roman temple and has been a church for centuries, and the painter Raphael is buried inside.
Talking points
- The dome was the largest of its kind for many centuries.
- The oculus is open to the sky, so rain does fall inside.
- The building became a church and has been preserved as one.
- Raphael's tomb is inside.
Free to read aloud or adapt in your video. Check facts that matter to you against an official source before you publish.
Good to know: Entry now requires a ticket; check the official site before visiting.
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Also nearby
Within about 40 km, closest first.